Cheiloscopy in the human identification

Abstract

One of the most challenging issues that man has been confronted with is human identification.1 Identifying identity is a fundamental process in Legal Medicine, both in civil and criminal terms2,3 being a prerequisite for the certification of death as well as for personal, social and legal reasons.4,5 Dactyloscopy (evaluation of fingerprints), dental records and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) are the most common techniques used, allowing the rapid and secure identification process. However, in certain circumstances, related to the crime scene or lack of experienced personnel, these techniques may not be available. Therefore, there is a growing need to apply alternative methods to establish identity,6 as is the case of soft tissue identification, an example being queiloscopy. Cheiloscopy is an area of Forensic Dentistry that applies to the study, registration and classification of lip impressions.7 Greek word of origin, queiloscopy means examination of the lips, where cheilos=lips and skopein=examination.